Harm minimisation

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As a corporate society licensed to conduct class 4 gambling, NZCT is fully aware of its obligations under the Gambling Act 2003 to prevent and minimise the harm caused by gambling, including problem gambling. NZCT takes these obligations very seriously. We train all our venue staff in harm prevention and minimisation.

The pub gaming industry

The Department of Internal Affairs is responsible for monitoring the class 4 gambling industry to ensure it adheres to relevant rules, regulations and legislative requirements. The penalties for non-compliance include fines, suspensions, loss of operating licence and potential criminal charges.

The class 4 gambling industry has come under intense scrutiny during the past few years. As a consequence, the Gambling Act was amended in 2013 and 2015 to provide further controls, increase transparency and allow greater efficiency.

Strictly controlled environments

A complex range of regulatory requirements are in place to support Parliament's objective to prevent and minimise the harm that can be caused by excessive use of pokie machines. Harm minimisation measures that gaming societies, their venue managers and venue staff are required to meet include:

limiting stakes and prize money

displaying odds of winning

restricting gaming rooms to people over the age of 18 years

interrupting play every 30 minutes with an update on how long the player has been at the machine, how much money they’ve spent and their net wins and losses

not accepting $50 and $100 notes

not allowing ATMs in gambling areas

prohibiting pokie advertising

electronic monitoring of every gaming machine’s takings

prohibiting syndicated play.

All venues must:

have staff trained in gambling harm minimisation on duty at all times gaming machines are operating

have a gambling harm minimisation policy in place

display pamphlets and signs directing gamblers to help services

have staff who understand how to issue and enforce exclusion orders

have staff who can help problem gamblers if they have an ongoing concern about them.

What we do to prevent harm

pays a problem gambling levy to the Ministry of Health of around $1.5 million a year - these funds contribute towards the ministry's Preventing and Minimising Gambling Harm Strategic Plan, which includes public health services (for example, the Health Promotion Agency advertising campaigns), intervention services, research, evaluation and workforce development